Rotary engine.



No. 679,|'29. Patented my 23, moa.

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(Appliation led Dec. 11, 1900.)

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No. 679 |29. Paie ted 1 G. w. SMITH. n "y 23 um ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed Dec. 11, 1900.) V

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES ATnT einen.

GEORGE W. SMITH, VOF PETERSBURG, ILLINOIS.

ROTARYIEN'GINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 679,129, dated July 23, 1901.. Application filed December 11, 190i). Serial No. 39,518. (No model.)

.To tZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE W. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Petersburg, in the county of Menard and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Reversible Rotary Engine, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description.

My invention relates to reversible rotary engines, and has for its object to provide an improved engine of the above-indicated class in which dead-centers are avoided entirely, so that the engine will start in any position, and in which provision is made for securing steam-tight packings and for securing an easy motion of the cut-off valves which control admission of steam to the cylinder.

The invention will be fully described hereinafter and the features of novelty pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure lis an end'elevation of my improved engine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation thereof on the line 2 2 of Fig. I. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional elevation on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. -l is a cross-sectional det-ail of the reversingvalve drawn upon a smaller scale.

The engine comprises a cylinder A, having heads A and supported on a suitable base or frame B. In this cylinder is mounted a piston C, carried upon ashaft C', which is journaled in bearings C5, the said piston having three portions or heads C2, adapted to engage the periphery of the cylinder, and three cavities fr, forming working chambers, in a manner more fully set forth hereinafter. The cylinder is provided with oblique ports a a' b b', located approximately at equal distances from each other and leading into the cavities or working chambers at. These ports communicate with the inlet-ports a2 a3 b2 b3, connecte'd with the pipes F2 F3 F F', which lead to the valvecasing F4. In this casing is mounted to turn the reversing-valve G, opening at one end, as shown at G', into the casing F4, so as to be permanently in communication with the steam-supply pipe H. The valve G further has peripheral ports G2 G3,

located diametrically opposite each other, so

that they will register either with the inletpipes F F or with the inlet-pipes F2 F3. The reversing-valve is normally stationary, but may be adjusted by means of a lever I, connected with a projection G4 of the Valve and held in position on Va notched arc J by means of a spring-pressed locking-bar I in the ordinary manner. A nut L forms a cap for the valve-casing F4 and at the same time a stuffing-box for the projection or stem G4 of the valve.

The inlet-ports aos bb' communicate at their inner ends with radial chambers D, in which are mounted to reciprocate the cut-off valves E. Each of these valves has an inner end K K- K2 K3, adapted to engage the peripheral surface of the piston C, and a diagonal or oblique passage f, arranged to register with the ports a a' Z7 b and being of the same inclination. From the said passages f to the rear or outward face of each cut-off valve extends a channel N, flaring toward its outer end and establishing a permanent communication between each valve-chamber D and the passage f of the corresponding cut-off valve. The opposite ports a a are inclined in one direction-for instance, the direction corresponding to clockwise rotation of the piston-and the other ports ZJ b are inclined in opposite directions-that is, the direction corresponding to contra clockwise rotation. Between two of the inlets and at diametri@- ally opposite points are located the exhaustports c c-, in permanent communication with the interior of the cylinder and with the atlnosphere.

To secure steam-tight joints, I provide the following arrangements: Each of the pistonheads C2 has a spring-pressed packing-bar C3, pressed outward by springs C4 to engage the inner surface of the cylinder. Each of the cylinder-heads A has a packing or ring A2,

pressed inward against the faces of the piston by means of springs A3, the pressure of which may be graduated by means of setscrews A4. To preserve a tight fitting of the cut-off valves E, I provide the chambers D with a lining or packing of substantially L. shape, as shown at d, said packing being capable of inward adjustment by means of setscrews O, so as to take up wear. In order that the cut-off valves may be readily accessi- IOO ble, I provide caps S, which cover the ends of the valve-chambers D, so that upon removing the said caps the cut-off valves and the linings d may be removed'and repaired. The caps S may be provided on their inner faces with cushions d' to receive the impact ofthe cut-off valves E when the latter are thrown Outward. g

In operation, supposing the lever I to be so set that the ports G2 G3 will register with the pipes F2 F2, the steam-inlet ports a c will be kin action while the other steam-inlet ports b b will be inactive. Steam will therefore pass through the pipe H to the valve-casing F4, the bore G of the reversing-valve G, the ports G2 and G2, pipes F2 and F3, and ports d2 0.2 to the inlet-ports a d. In the position shown v in Fig. 3 the head or inner end 7c of one cutoff valve is engaged by one of the heads C2 of the piston, and is therefore in its outer position, thus closing the communication of the inlet-port a to the cylinder. The cut-off valve with the head 7a, however, is in its inner position, so that the passage fregisters with the inlet-port a, thus allowing steam to pass into the chamber and to iinpinge against one of the piston-heads C2. A portion of the steam passes through the channel N of the cut-OH valve and presses upon the outer face of the valve, holding the valve inward against the piston. During the rotation of the piston the curvedA surface of the latter acts as a cam-surface to again force the cut-off valve outward, and as this is done the steam which has previously passed into the outward end of the valve-chamber D is forced inward in a jet through the channel N, owing to the fact that said channel is contracted at its inner end. This feature facilitates the outward movement Of the valve, and thus reduces the power necessary to shift the valve. It will be seen that as there are two steam-inlets to the cylinder in operation While the piston forms three working chambers it is impossible for the piston at any time to assume such a position that both steam-inlets will be closed. Therefore the engine has no dead-center position. Furthermore, the power exerted to turn the piston is more uniformly distributed, as the v steam-inlets begin to admit steam at differthrown into position at the eXtreme left, thus bringing the valve-ports G2 G3 in communication with the inlet-pipes F F. When it is desired to stop the engine, the lever I is brought into the central position, in which the ports G2 G2 remain closed.

While I have shown a cylinder having two inlets acting in conjunction with a piston having three heads, (two of the four inlets being inactive,) I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to this specific construction, since the same result, so far as avoiding dead-centers is concerned, will be obtained whenever the number of pistonheads exceeds the number of inlets, without, however, being an exact multiple of the number of inlets.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In a rotary engine, a cylinder' having an outlet an inlet and a valve-chamber at the inlet, a cut-off valve mounted to slide in said chamber and having a passage for the admission of the motive agent from the said inlet to the cylinder, and a channel leading from said passage to the outer end of the valvechamber, said channel being narrowed Or tapered toward said passage, and a piston mounted to turn in the cylinder and engaged by the cut-off valve.

2. In a rotary engine, a cylinder having Outlets inlets arranged obliquely to the inner periphery ofthe cylinder and radial valve-chambers at said inlets, cut-off valves held to slide in said chambers and provided with Oblique through-passages adapted to connect the in lets with the interior of the cylinder, and with outwardly-flaring channels leading from said passages to the outer ends of the valvechambers.

3. In a rotary engine, a cylinder having Outlets two sets of inlets arranged obliquely to the inner periphery of the cylinder, the inlets Of one set facing in a direction opposite to those of the other set, and radial valvechambers at said inlets, cut-off valves held to slide in said chambers and provided with oblique through -passages adapted to connect the inlets with the interior of the cylinder, and with outwardly-flaring channels leading from said passages to the Outer ends of the valve-chamber, a reversing device for connecting one set of inlets or the other with the supply of motive agent, and a piston mounted to turn in the cylinder and engaged by the cut-Oi valves.

In testimony whereof I sign my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE NV. SMITH.

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